Regional Manager, Southeast

The Regional Manager, Southeast is the business development and relationship management lead responsible for advancing FSC certification growth and retention within the assigned territory.

This role focuses on three primary objectives:

• Grow FSC-certified Forest Management acreage
• Increase participation of primary processors within FSC Chain of Custody certification
• Retain existing forest management and primary processor certificate holders

Scope of Work:

This is a remote position requiring up to 30% travel within the region. Success depends on maintaining a strong field presence and building relationships across the forestry and forest products sectors.

The Regional Manager, Southeast is responsible for the Southeast region, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas. An established certification pipeline exists within the region, providing a foundation for continued growth and relationship development.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Forest Management Certification Growth:

Drive growth in Forest Management certification by identifying, cultivating, and recruiting prospective certificate holders through strategic outreach, relationship management, and opportunity development

Build relationships with landowners, tribes, forest managers, processors, public agencies, and other forestry stakeholders that support certification growth.

Monitor regional forestry trends, market conditions, and emerging opportunities.

Develop and manage a regional certification pipeline.

Forest Management Certificate Holder Retention:

Maintain strong relationships with existing Forest Management certificate holders.

Conduct regular outreach to identify opportunities, challenges, and emerging needs.

Identify and address barriers to continued certification.

Connect certificate holders with the resources, expertise, and relationships needed to address challenges and support their certification goals.

Communicate certificate holder feedback, concerns, and opportunities to appropriate FSC US teams.

Processor Recruitment and Supply Chain Development:

Drive growth in primary processor certification by identifying, cultivating, and recruiting prospective Chain of Custody certificate holders through strategic outreach, relationship management, and opportunity development.

Facilitate connections between certified forests and primary processors to strengthen FSC-certified supply chains.

Identify and address supply chain bottlenecks that limit certification growth.

Build relationships with industry associations, procurement professionals, and other forest products stakeholders to advance FSC certification within the region.

Strategic Engagement:

Represent FSC US at targeted industry meetings, conferences, and stakeholder events.

Gather market intelligence and identify emerging opportunities, risks, and barriers to certification growth.

Support implementation of grant-funded projects.

Collaborate on developing work plans, budgets, and implementation strategies for new grant opportunities that advance FSC US strategic objectives.

Contribute regional expertise to organizational planning, strategy development, and cross-functional initiatives.

You may be expected to contribute to our success by performing additional duties that support our vision, mission, and values.

What Success Looks Like

The successful candidate will:

Grow FSC-certified forest management acreage within the region.

Increase participation of primary processors in FSC Chain of Custody certification.

Develop and maintain a healthy pipeline of certification opportunities.

Contribute to FSC US’s goal of reaching 45 million FSC-certified acres by 2028.

Please note: We can only consider US residents based in one of the following states for this position: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas.

The salary range for this position is $90,000 to $110,000 annually, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

The deadline for submitting applications is October 25, 2026.

Requirements

• Required: Bachelor’s degree in Forestry, Natural Resources, Forest Products, Environmental Science, Business, or a related field.
• Eight or more years of relevant professional experience.
• Strong understanding of forestry, forest products, or natural resource management.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and project management skills.
• Business development, market development, or client relationship management experience.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships and influence diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
• Preferred: Degree from an SAF-accredited forestry program.
• Experience with FSC certification systems.
• Existing relationships within the forestry or forest products sectors.
• Experience working with landowners, public agencies, tribal forestry programs, family forest owners, or primary processors.